This fanciful watercolor depicts a view of San Miguel de Allende, a vibrant and architecturally rich city in the central highlands of Mexico. The composition is loosely based on a photograph provided by my friend and fellow artist Maria, who grew up a few hours away and was kind enough to share her images of this wonderfully colorful place. Inspired by my own travels in Mexico, I’ve brought plenty of bright hues and fluid shapes to the party and had a lot of fun doing it.

Not long ago on a trip to Monterey on the northern California coast, I came upon this small historic shack in the area called Cannery Row, which John Steinbeck made famous in his classic novel. I decided to move the little house for this watercolor, situating it in a spacious autumnal setting with a bright optimistic sky and a color palette inspired by Van Gogh.

This watercolor, a westward-facing morning view of the Golden Gate Bridge, represents the first of my new direction for the Roaring 2020s ahead — a brighter, bolder, and more abstract vision of our colorful world. I hope you enjoy it!